Counting Stars
by CrazyLaviFangirl
Summary: If someone had told Kagami Taiga that he'd fall in love with an silent, unnoticeable kindergarten teacher, he would've laughed in their face. Kagami Taiga/Kuroko Tetsuya. AU.
1. Chapter 1

There was something different in the air today.

Kuroko couldn't quite pinpoint what it was that felt different, but he brushed it off as he prepared the lesson plans for the day. He let the ghost of a smile flicker onto his face as he flipped through the activities he'd be doing today to help the children learn numbers, hoping they'd enjoy the activity as much as he enjoyed planning it for them.

Setting off for school, his mind was filled with a flurry of images and thoughts, but none of them made sense. Even as he arrived and walked into the small school building, he couldn't single out what was setting him into such a weird mood. Kuroko sets his stuff down at his desk, planting himself behind it as he awaits the arrival of the little devils that he taught every day. He had dreamed of being a teacher from a young age, and felt accomplished that he had managed to succeed where most people fell short, but unfortunately, it left him without another serious goal in mind.

He had always loved basketball, but he wouldn't have time to fulfill both jobs of his, so he had opted to teaching kids instead. It left a lot of thoughts of 'what could have been' in his head, but most nights he was able to brush it aside and be thankful for the life that he had obtained for himself.

Kuroko's day went as it normally did, with him standing in front of a group of rambunctious five year-olds who wanted to do nothing more than play and paint; he tried to incorporate creative activities such as those into his lessons as much as he could, finding that it helped them to learn quicker when they were enjoying themselves at the same time. Smiling as he cleans up for the day, he can't help but be glad that he got into this line of work, because it never failed to leave him with a smile on his face and warmth welling up in his chest.

Heading home for the day, he almost wishes he didn't have to leave his little bubble of happiness to return to his quiet home, although his small Alaskan Malamute would be awaiting his arrival. Rolling down his window to get some fresh air, the feeling from this morning returns full forced; it feels like there's a heavy weight on his heart that won't budge no matter what he does. A mix of smells hit his nose, ones that briefly remind him of his youth when he used to go camping with his parents, when he spots the group of stopped cars.

His car screeches to a halt just before he hits the road block, and within seconds he's out of his car, mingling in the crowd that's gathered in front of his home. His eyes widen as flames dance in his vision, the crackling of burning wood reaching his ears before the screams and cries of his neighbors do. There's a faint wailing in the distance that's slowly getting louder, the firemen coming to the rescue, but Kuroko's mind is left on something else.

Tetsuya 2 was still inside.

Easily slipping through the crowd, he darts through his front door, his eyes blurred by the smoke but his ears easily picking up the sound of a dogs whimpering.

"Number 2!" He calls out, squinting his eyes in a poor attempt to see through the smoke. He can't help but cough as he shifts deeper into his home, searching in every crevice for the puppy that he'd been given by a close friend of his. He hears the scraping of paws on the bathroom door as he enters his bedroom; he quickly throws open the door, picking up the scared Alaskan malamute before he accidentally hurts himself. Turning around the leave the burning house, he senses imminent danger as he runs into the living room. There's a moment of shock where he freezes, the scaffolding from the roof falling down and blocking off his exit. His sharp gasp causes him to inhale smoke, and he falls to the ground as his fate dawns onto him.

Tetsuya 2 whimpers as his master lies on the ground, coughing and wheezing weakly as he tries to find the will to live, but finds that his idealistic wishes are met with darkness.

Arriving on the scene, it isn't long before word spreads that the owner of the house had run into the building. Scoffing at the stupidity of it all, Kagami is quick to grab his axe and rush inside. He didn't like to claim to be a hero, but it was in his nature to be the first to rush inside. With fires it was a race against time, and at the moment, time wasn't on his side. It was almost like fighting a losing battle, but he had always prospered when the odds were against him.

Kagami hacks through the burning wood, making sure that none of the embers damage the frail body that he can barely see lying in the center of the room, his path to him still blocked off by a considerable amount of danger. If he let the boy breathe in much more smoke, his lungs would be done for; the smoke was already making it near impossible for him to see. Determined to not let anyone die on his watch, he continues to push through as he hears the rest of his brigade working on dimming the fire in the surrounding houses to prevent it from spreading even further.

The red-haired firefighter can hear the soft whimpering of a dog, but forces his way through regardless of his fear, his body acting despite his mind telling him it was a bad idea to go any farther into the burning building. There was an innocent life at hand, and he'd rather die than leave behind an innocent dog and its owner. With a newfound fire in his eyes, he manages to hack through another piece of charred wood, finally able to reach the small body in the center of the room. Observing his face, he notes that the man can be no older than 20, with skin covered in soot due to the fire; the dog was nestled against his chest, refusing to leave his owner behind.

Kagami easily picks the man up in his arms; carrying him bridal style as the dog balances itself on his owners' chest. He quickly makes his way from the building, with no time left to spare as he hears the foundation creaking with every step he takes. Its moments later, as he finally manages to find the exit that he hears the floor collapse inside, but he blocks the close call from his mind and focuses on his task at hand. He rushes past the groups of people that had gathered near, fighting to get to the ambulance as fast as possible.

Only when he has the small injured body laying on the gurney does he allow himself a chance to breathe, head whipping back towards the house. The rest of his brigade had handled the fire, and soon it would be nothing but a charred house and a horrifying memory to all those gathered around. Letting out another exhausted sigh, he let one of the EMT's check him over for wounds as they got ready to head to the hospital with the individual he'd just saved in the back, still unconscious and hooked up to an IV to keep him alive.

He made a mental note to visit the hospital before heading home, just to ease his mind after a long day of work, before heading off to help the rest of his team tame the roaring fire.


	2. Chapter 2

That night Kagami entered the hospital in the early morning hours, and despite how sore he was, he was determined to see the boy that'd been brought in earlier. Having changed into his jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt, he heads towards the reception desk to speak with the head nurse who was sitting there. It takes a few minutes before she can confirm who he's asking for, the man's name being revealed as Kuroko Tetsuya, and even then, she can't allow him to go see him just yet.

"I'm sorry, sir, but he's in bad condition. Doctor's are still checking up on him, it may be a few hours before he's allowed any visitors." She explains.

He nods, but instead of leaving, chooses to sit in the waiting room. It's not like heading home to an empty house was a thrilling idea to him, and he found that he wasn't hungry anymore; relaxing in the waiting room as he waited to be allowed to see Kuroko was the perfect way to waste time. Sliding down in the chair, he closes his eyes and begins to rest, gathering energy in case he's called back to the station on another call.

It was a few hours later that he realizes he's being shaken awake; letting out a loud yawn and stretching, the slightly frazzled looking nurse tells him about Kuroko's condition. He suffered minor burns, with a few bruises on his body, but would otherwise be fine. He was up in his room, still awake, and accepting visitors. Kagami thanks her for her time, straightening himself out as he stands and heads towards Kuroko's room. He stands outside for a few seconds, peering through the tiny window and seeing the small boy lying in the bed.

His dog had been given to one of the neighbors to be taken care of, after a small fight of course; the dog hadn't wanted to leave his owner.

The blue-haired boy seemed to be lost in thought, the sheets bunched up in his hand as he stared blankly at the wall. Kagami wondered how he would explain himself and his reasons for coming to check-up on him, but decided it was best to just run on impulse. He hadn't waited around for hours on end just to turn tail and not check to make sure Kuroko was really feeling alright. He'd just stay and chat for a few seconds, then leave him to rest, to be on with the rest of his day.

Which would definitely be filled with eating himself out of house and home and sleeping away his back pain.

"How're you feeling?" Kagami asked as he entered the room, gently closing the door behind him. Blue eyes scanned his face, looking him up and down curiously to see if it was anyone he knew. After deciding that this was a stranger, he covered himself protectively.

"I'm okay. Who are you?" It wasn't often that Kagami would meet someone who was as blunt and frank as Kuroko seemed to be, it was refreshing in an odd way.

"I was at the scene of the fire today. One of the firefighters, the one that pulled you out to be exact." Kuroko's eyes widened for a brief second before he returned to normal, his shoulders relaxing as he let down any defenses he put up against the potentially dangerous stranger. Seeming to trust him a bit more, Kagami steps deeper into the room, grabbing onto a stray chair and pulling it closer to Kuroko's bedside for him to sit in.

"Thank you for rescuing me." Kuroko bows his head, a small smile making its way to his face. Kagami had to admit that it was cute, probably one of the cutest smiles he'd ever seen, but he brushes the thoughts away. "I appreciate it."

"It was no problem, really. I just wanted to check up on you, see how you were doing before any other family got here and surrounded you."

"There's nothing to worry about when it comes to that. I don't have family."

"You don't have family that'll visit?"

"They don't live around here anymore." Kuroko looks up at Kagami. "You'll probably be my only visitor."

Well, that was pretty sad and pathetic. Kagami felt bad for him, knowing what it was like to be alone without having any parents around to support him, since he'd been alone in Japan since he was around 16. Even at young adulthood, it was still difficult to get along without at least a bit of help from parents; he wanted to get more in-depth but knew that pushing any further would be inappropriate of him. He was just a stranger, after all.

"After you get out, are you gonna live with one of your neighbors until you find a new place?" He felt a lot like he was playing twenty questions, though Kuroko didn't seem to be too uncomfortable with his questionings. In fact, if Kagami didn't know better, he would assume that Kuroko really was enjoying having some company instead of being alone in a hospital bed with no one to talk to.

"I'm... not sure where I'll live." The blank look is wiped from Kuroko's face and is instead replaced with a troubled one as he glances out of the window, not meeting Kagami's gaze as he had before. "My neighbors and I are neutral towards each other and they all have families. Asking to live with them would be very inconvenient..."

"I, well, shit..." Kagami runs his fingers through his hair. "I can ask my landlord if there's any places in my building that's open. It's not too expensive a place to live in. I-I mean only if you'd want me to."

"That would be helpful, thank you..."

"Kagami. I'm Kagami Taiga."

"Thank you, Kagami-kun. I appreciate your help."

After a few more minutes of idle chatter, Kagami took his leave. He felt bad about leaving Kuroko alone, but had promised to visit again tomorrow if he had time; Kuroko didn't have anyone else to visit him, after all, and spending evenings alone in the hospital could be depressing. Plus, he was going to check with his landlord if he could find Kuroko a place to live since his house had burnt down, so it wasn't like he was visiting again for no reason. He had every right to be worried about someone he'd just saved from a fire; he saw how easily a life could easily be ruined within minutes, leaving them high and dry and with nowhere to live and no one to turn to. It was just Kagami worrying about person, like any decent human being would.

He didn't understand why he was trying so hard to convince himself that it was just good intentions he had; that was all it was, right?


	3. Chapter 3

The minute he got home, he was on the phone, calling his landlord as he started to make himself something to eat. Today was his day off, but he still had a lot to do; he had to make himself something decent to eat, wash off the soot on his body, and then

"Hello, Ms. Satou. How are you today?"

"Hello Kagami, I'm getting along, you know how it is being old... Or maybe you don't. You definitely don't, never mind. Well, anyway, is there something that you need?"

"I was wondering if there were any apartments open, I'm asking for a... friend." 

"Oooh, a friend, huh? Trying to harbor a secret girlfriend, eh?"

"W-What?! Ma'am, please!" He's glad his landlord can't see the blush on his face or he'd be even more embarrassed. The old woman on the other end giggles.

"Ah, to be young and in love again. It's wondrous, isn't it? But I'm sorry; you took the last apartment when you moved in. There aren't any vacancies." Kagami lets out a sigh.

"Understood. Thanks... ma'am." He hangs up first, thoroughly frustrated. There weren't any cheaper apartment complexes around the area that he could think of, and with Kuroko on a school teacher's salary, there's no way he could afford the high end apartments. Trying to brainstorm other ideas that could help Kuroko, he enters the shower, determined to find some place for Kuroko to live before he returns to the hospital to visit him.

~*~

"You shouldn't be looking for houses in the hospital, you have to rest!" Kagami exclaims in exasperation. Kuroko sends him a confused look, closing the newspaper. If he had been living with someone at the time of the fire, it'd be much easier to leave the worries to them, but without any family in the immediate area or a roommate, it left him in a bind.

"Kagami-kun, I'll be homeless when they decide to release me. I have to find an apartment before then."

"A-About that..." Kagami felt as though Kuroko could stare right through him if he wanted, able to read his thoughts without any question. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous, it was only a simple question, an offer, due to Kagami's immense kindness and sympathy for the now homeless Kindergarten teacher. "I have an apartment that's large, and it's close to the school. You can stay with me if you... want to." 

"Kagami-kun, are you asking for me to move in with you?"

It made them sound like they were lovers taking the next step up in a relationship when he put it that way! Kagami, finding that he can easily be flustered by how blunt Kuroko tended to be, turned away to hide his blush. There was no other way for Kuroko to live comfortably, since there didn't seem to be any apartments within the general area, not to mention that he DID have the room to spare, and it'd be far better than allowing the already unlucky man to live on the streets.

"Y-Yeah. I live alone, anyway, so it'll be fine. I can have the guest bedroom set up by the time you're capable of leaving but I... I'm warning you now; I don't like dogs that much." Kuroko is amused by the fact that the color completely drains from Kagami's face as he mentions Nigou; a firefighter who had rushed into a collapsing, burning building was afraid of a pet that wasn't even a quarter of his height.

"Nigou is well-behaved, I promise."

"Then it's decided, I'll come to pick you up from the hospital tomorrow when you're released and bring you home."

"A new home..." Kuroko's eyes are downcast as his hands grip the sheets. "Thank you again."

It takes a moment for Kagami to realize why Kuroko suddenly looks so downtrodden; he had been focusing all of his energy on finding a new home, and now that that problem has been solved, his worries had traversed elsewhere. More so onto the fact that the entirety of his possessions, and other valuables had been destroyed; it was no wonder that he suddenly looked depressed. Kagami had closely dealt with enough home fires to know that eventually, the people will start anew and move on, with help from friends and family who are there to ensure they have the means to recover.

But Kuroko had no one.

No one but a stranger, the firefighter that saved his life.

"It'll be alright." He feels awkward saying it, but there was nothing else he could think of to say. Kuroko seems surprised for a second at his words, but his eyes soften and he smiles.

"Do you say embarrassing things like this often, Kagami-kun?"

"O-oi! You shouldn't say things like that to people who are trying to help you!"

Kagami could tell it was going to be a long, interesting next few weeks for him.


End file.
